Primary election results concerning some county board members

Posted:
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 7:02 PM EDT

WINNEBAGO COUNTY (WREX) -

The results of the Winnebago County district 16 board race caught many people off guard.

Realtor and political newcomer Jean Crosby appears to have pulled off the upset over longtime board member John Sweeney. The results are still unofficial but right now she leads the republican majority leader by 36 votes.

"I think it was the FBI investigation, I think it's high property taxes, I think it's high crime," Crosby said.

Crosby is one of many changes coming to Winnebago County.

Because of Chairman Scott Christiansen's retirement the county will get a new leader next year. On Tuesday night Frank Haney secured the Republican nomination.

"Sometimes some new people can be a good thing. Doesn't mean that the past people did a bad job just means that some change is good time to time," Haney said.

But some of it is causing concern from board members specifically over the loss of John Sweeney.

John was the...leader of the county board I thought. We are going to lose a lot without his leadership, without his willing to compromise," said 10th District board member and Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Hoffman.

Hoffman said he's concerned the new batch of board members may make compromising more difficult.

But Crosby says that's not her intention.

"I'm not a politician and when it comes to the work of the county board you have to walk into that room and you're not about republicans, and you're not about democrats, you're about the community," Crosby said.

The community will have the final say. Candidates still have to face voters in the general election in November.

Sweeney said he has not decided whether or not to file a recount. If he does he says it will be because of ballot issues that occurred in the county.